POPULAR London street food restaurant and bar brand, Market Place London, has partnered with learning disability arts programme Bubble Club’s DJ Factory, to offer them the space to perform and hone their skills.
Launched in 2005 in East London, Bubble Club’s DJ Factory provides accessible night club experiences and DJ training programmes for artists with learning disabilities or neurodivergent conditions.
The Bubble Club is led by resident Rinse FM DJ and respected underground electronic music producer, Ollie Rant, alongside an experienced team. The Club ensure DJs are able to develop and adapt their styles to the highest standard through training workshops, helping them achieve their goals of playing live in London and securing paid employment.
Market Place will be hosting the budding DJs for monthly sessions that are free to enter, with the first events on 8 November and 5 December, where the public will be able to watch the artists at work while enjoying food from the abundance of street food traders on offer. These include Thai food specialists KraPow, traditional Nigerian street food brand Suya & Lobster, famed artisan doughnut brand Dum Dum Donutterie, and many more.
Hugo Fer, manager at Bubble Club, said: “Currently, only 5.1% of learning disabled people in the UK are in paid work, 70% lower than the general population, which is absolutely nuts. The creative industry is one of the few industries where learning disabled people have been able to get a foot hold. In particular for us, DJing has proven to be an accessible art form where talented people in our network have been able to excel and potentially earn a living.”
“The DJ Factory project provides these individuals with the support they require to take their DJ careers to the next level and show London what they have to offer. We’re incredibly grateful to Market Place for hosting us at their Peckham venue and supporting us in our mission to get more learning disabled and neuro-diverse artists behind the decks at mainstream venues. We are confident their audience will love the energy and personality of this superb crew of performers.”
Guests can expect to see performances by open-format female artist, DJ4Blue, amongst others on the night, with the free entry event open to Peckham’s keenest music lovers.
Liam Monaghan, events, partnerships and acquisitions manager at Market Place, said: “Working with the Bubble Club was a bit of a no-brainer for us. The mission of the dedicated team is something that we’re really keen to support. It and aligns nicely with our ethos as a brand – giving those who we feel would benefit from increased exposure, the care and attention they deserve and the opportunity for a greater chance of success.
“We’re really passionate about providing events with a difference, and so we’ve embraced the opportunity to give London DJs with neurodivergent conditions or learning disabilitia om fortable environment in which to hone their skills and take the next step in their careers. We’re really looking forward to hosting the team and listening to some top-quality music from some fantastic DJ talent.”
The upcoming events mark just a few out of a jam-packed calendar of events Market Place Peckham has taking place over the coming months. Other highlights include live music performances, a Suarve Events Games Night on 15 November and DWMT Hip Hop painting on 25 November.
The venue also boasts ten delicious street food vendors, including fresh and fun Mexican street foodies Los Tacos and BBC’s Million Pound Menu winners, Baba G’s.
Market Place’s Peckham venue is wheelchair accessible and family and dog-friendly, with a juice bar, free WiFi and hot drinks to cater to all in the local area. The venue is based at Unit 10, The Aylesham Centre, and its opening times are 11.00am-11.30pm, Monday to Sunday.
For more information about Market Place UK, visit: https://www.marketplacelondon.co.uk/
